Author: ASJ Staff

High Adventure with a Higher Purpose

High Adventure with a Higher Purpose

Posted by | Mar 1, 2009 | |

Dr. Else Uglum, Pediatrician, on top of Sankha La(14,700 feet), highest point on our trek. Arriving in Kathmandu, amongst the hordes of tourists, climbers, and locals, you start to wonder how many of these people are going to be on the trail with you. If you are headed to the Khumbu or Annapurna regions you would probably see many of them again. But in Humla, the most remote and northerly region of Nepal, this is not the case. In fact, you may not see another tourist at all.

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Catch That Shot!

Catch That Shot!

Posted by | Mar 1, 2009 | |

Skier Chris Davenport climbs and skis the Mountaineerโ€™s Route on Mt. Whitney, spring 2008. Do you ever wish your camera had an auto setting labeled โ€˜Amazing Action Shotโ€™? Youโ€™re not alone. Despite how easy it is to flip your camera to the โ€˜sportsโ€™ setting and hit the shutter button as your buddy blows past you skiing, biking, or paddling, itโ€™s surprisingly hard to come away from the moment with a stellar image of the action. Whether the shot is wellโ€“framed but blurry or focused but missing half a head, there are a lot of ways a one-chance shot can be flubbed.

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Cruisers, Clunkers and the Origins of the Off-Road Bike

Cruisers, Clunkers and the Origins of the Off-Road Bike

Posted by | Mar 1, 2009 | |

Charlie Kelly hauling denim down Repackโ€™s Camera Corner, late 1976, on his 50-pound modified Schwinn Excelsior. Notice the safety gear โ€“ knee pads, elbow pads, leather gloves and boots โ€“ sans helmet. A pickup truck parade that includes a pink 1953 Chevy leaves the last outpost of civilization โ€“ the leafy, hippie oasis that is Fairfax โ€“ heading up into the hills, with 50-pound bicycles and two chronometers โ€ฆ To Repack. The Repack trail drops 1,300 feet in 2.1 miles down the east side of Pine Mountain. At the top is an open ridge with views of Mt. Tamalpais, Marin, the San Francisco Bay, and the blue sky beyond. Fred Wolf and Charlie Kelly started the race down Repack, on Oct. 21, 1976, to be precise.

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An original, firsthand account of the remarkable first ski crossing of Tioga Pass

An original, firsthand account of the remarkable first ski crossing of Tioga Pass

Posted by | Jan 1, 2009 | |

Editorโ€™s Note: This account, previously never published, was written by Dennis Jones in the late 1950s, and is provided courtesy of Starr Walton Hurley, niece of Dennis Jones, and Norm Sayler, president of the Donner Summit Historical Society. The story below contains some added detail from that was merged into the story from another typed retelling of the adventure that Jones wrote some time later.

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The Truly Great Ski Race

The Truly Great Ski Race

Posted by | Jan 1, 2009 | |

So, Mr. or Ms. Backcountry Skier, you want to be a nordic ski racer, you say? Maybe you watched the last Olympics, and marveled at the athletes and their amazing oxygen uptake and strength. Or perhaps a friend dragged you over to your local cross country ski area, and you โ€“ with your mega-wide boards and heavy tele boots โ€“ kept getting buzzed by a bunch of folks wearing colorful skin-tight lycra, leaving you feeling like you were standing still as they powered up the hill. OK, maybe you can live without the spandex; but still, it looked like fun. Those skinny little skate skis can sure fly over the trails.

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A Slackcountry Attitude

A Slackcountry Attitude

Posted by | Jan 1, 2009 | |

Paul Oelerich slays the Mt. Reba slackcountry during last yearโ€™s Bear Valley Tele Fest. A lot of folks are taking issue with the label โ€œslackcountryโ€ recently for its derogatory attitude. Get over it. Keep in mind I say that with a full measure of self-deprecation. Thereโ€™s no point in lying, itโ€™s my favorite kind of tour. Usually. I still love revving the meter full tilt when the tilt is at the edge of reason, but not all the time, and admittedly, not at the same RPM as 20 years ago. You too? Thought so.

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Backcountry Skiers: Make Room on Your Bookshelf

Backcountry Skiers: Make Room on Your Bookshelf

Posted by | Jan 1, 2009 | |

In conversations the past month with avid local Sierra backcountry skiers about Dan Mingori and Nate Greenburgโ€™s new guidebook Backcountry Skiing Californiaโ€™s Eastern Sierra, 166 Ski and Snowboard Descents in the Range of Light between Tioga Pass and Bishop Creek (Wolverine Publishing 2008) immediate comments from those newly aware of the book fell cleanly into two camps. A majority exclaimed, โ€œReally? Thatโ€™s awesome!โ€ While others grumbled, โ€œReally? That sucks!โ€

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Cโ€™mon in and Shut the Door!

Cโ€™mon in and Shut the Door!

Posted by | Jan 1, 2009 | , |

Whether youโ€™re a seasoned winter explorer or a four-season greenhorn, there are few feelings as joyous as skiing to the door of a snowbound backcountry hut. Just as the natural world is at its most inhospitable, wind and snow swirling in the air, here you are at the threshold of a magical landscape with little more than a sleeping bag, playing cards, and flask in hand. At night, you lounge under the coziness of a roof, warmed by a wood stove and shared with good friends. By day, you shred lonely backcountry peaks until exhaustion. Can it get any better?

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To Uganda With Skis

To Uganda With Skis

Posted by | Nov 1, 2008 | |

โ€œThe Mubuku River is too high โ€“ too high for the dry season,โ€ our Ugandan guide John says, shaking his head. He fears we might not be able to cross the footbridge ahead. Weโ€™ve only been hiking for a few hours and already the trail is lapped over by whitewash. The river rampages through the rainforest right next to us. It is the kind of water that would make the evening news back home โ€“ the kind of water that leaves people stranded on their rooftops while a TV helicopter hovers nearby.

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Fido in the Snow

Fido in the Snow

Posted by | Nov 1, 2008 | |

If your dog looks like an Alaskan malamute or a Swiss mountain dog, chances are your pooch takes to snow like a five-year-old Norwegian kid. Certain dog breeds, such as Huskies and St. Bernardโ€™s, have been bred for cold weather pursuits for centuries. However, if your dog is not one of those thick-coat snow-adapted canines and spends most of his days running around in milder climates and suburban backyards, you may need to prep your pooch before heading for the high country, perhaps even buy him a new outfit or at least some winter accessories.

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Jan 26

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Our recent article with Michael Allen is up! Featuring his new film A Long Road To Tao, that's being featured in the Las Cruces International Film Festival this spring along with his work as a fine art surf and wave photographer ๐ŸŒŠ๐ŸŽฅโ  โ  Check out Michael's work at the link in our bio ๐Ÿ”—โ  โ  Written by contributing writer @ellasuring

Our recent article with Michael Allen is up! Featuring his new film A Long Road To Tao, that`s being featured in the Las Cruces International Film Festival this spring along with his work as a fine art surf and wave photographer ๐ŸŒŠ๐ŸŽฅโ 
โ 
Check out Michael`s work at the link in our bio ๐Ÿ”—โ 
โ 
Written by contributing writer @ellasuring ...

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Jan 19

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When itโ€™s not raining, Castle Rock State Park offers amazing hiking and rock climbing just under an hour away from Santa Cruz! ๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿฅพ And when it is raining, you can still get out there and have some adventures! ๐ŸŒง๏ธ We went out last weekend in a break from the rain and sent some climbs at Indian Rock ๐Ÿง—๐Ÿฝ Just remember to bring water, snacks, warm clothes, and plan beforehand as there is no cell service there, adventure on! #rockclimbing #adventuresports #outdoor

When itโ€™s not raining, Castle Rock State Park offers amazing hiking and rock climbing just under an hour away from Santa Cruz! ๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿฅพ

And when it is raining, you can still get out there and have some adventures! ๐ŸŒง๏ธ

We went out last weekend in a break from the rain and sent some climbs at Indian Rock ๐Ÿง—๐Ÿฝ

Just remember to bring water, snacks, warm clothes, and plan beforehand as there is no cell service there, adventure on!

#rockclimbing #adventuresports #outdoor ...

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Jan 10

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Can anyone guess where this iconic Redwood Tree ring is in Santa Cruz? ๐ŸŒฒThe canopies of redwood trees support entire ecosystems of wildlife, insects, plants, and they even create soil up there from decomposing leaves ๐Ÿ‚. Next time you go mountain biking, running, or hiking, take a glance up and wonder at the marvels towering above you! #hiking #santacruz #adventuresportsjournal

Can anyone guess where this iconic Redwood Tree ring is in Santa Cruz? ๐ŸŒฒThe canopies of redwood trees support entire ecosystems of wildlife, insects, plants, and they even create soil up there from decomposing leaves ๐Ÿ‚. Next time you go mountain biking, running, or hiking, take a glance up and wonder at the marvels towering above you! #hiking #santacruz #adventuresportsjournal ...

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